We’re pleased to introduce our Broadcast Partners to you and share television distribution information for these networks.  The four half-hour episodes filmed in High Definition will be distributed by Untamed Sports and Ski Channel in the U.S., and RUSH HD internationally.  In addition to the 2009 Montana shows, Untamed Sports and Ski Channel will also be airing previous Primal Quest episodes including the Telluride, Lake Tahoe, San Juan Islands and Utah events.

Untamed Sports TV

Primal Quest Montana Presented by SPOT will begin airing on the Untamed Sports Network beginning June 1 and will be available in more than 10 million U.S. homes. The Montana episodes will be aired on Saturday and/or Sunday afternoons for a period of six months.  Additional viewing opportunities, including Primal Quest Utah and San Juan Islands will be announced, so please check your local Untamed Sports schedule or visit www.untamesportstv.com.

Untamed Sports TV, launched by Olympusat, Inc., a market leader in independent television networks, is currently distributed across broadcast, cable and satellite homes in the United States and delivers unique outdoor sports, adventure and lifestyle programs.  “Untamed Sports TV is the only outdoor sports channel that offers a variety of diverse programming that serves the outdoor enthusiast,” said Tom Mohler, President of Olympusat, Inc.  “Our goal is to be in 24 million homes by the end of this year.”

For more information about Untamed Sports TV, please visit:  www.untamedsportstv.com.

The Ski Channel

In addition to the Montana shows, the Ski Channel http://www.theskichannel.com is also now airing episodes from Primal Quest Lake Tahoe and Telluride.  These episodes will run through June 25  in 12 million homes via various Ski Channel partners.

The Ski Channel is an original ad supported network delivered via Cable, Satellite, Telco, web, wireless and other means of distribution, and has long-term distribution agreements with Time Warner Cable, Cox and Brighthouse markets. It is the only television network devoted to the wide variety of year-round mountain activities such as skiing, snowboarding, hiking, biking, backpacking, climbing, and now adventure racing!

RUSH HD

In addition to being our production partner in the filming of Primal Quest Montana Presented by SPOT, RUSH HD will also be airing the four episodes overseas beginning with a premiere in the UK in late 2009. We’ll share additional information regarding scheduling as it becomes available.

VOOM HD Networks www.voom.com provides programming produced exclusively in true high-definition to its affiliates and programming partners internationally. RUSH HD, the second VOOM HD Networks channel deployed internationally, is widely distributed in the UK and The Republic of Ireland on Sky, and throughout Europe on Eurobird 1. Rush HD is also represented in the region by international broadcaster Chello Zone, which represents Rush HD in much of Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Africa.

Well after the anticipation of two big races and four weeks straight of traveling it is finally time for a weekend of rest and relaxation and sleeping in my own bed here in Gunnison, CO.  Time always goes much faster when you are not at home and the last month has seemed like 2 weeks.   I must say I had forgotten how great the mountain air is after the heat and humidity of St. Croix, St. George UT, and Orlando FL.

Week(s) in Review:

I guess I have been chasing the Ironman dream now as I have been bitten by the triathlon bug and Kona is all I can think about lately. It all started April 28^th when I flew into St. Croix, Virgin Islands to race the ½ Ironman (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile road bike, 13.1 mile run) for a chance to win a slot into the Ironman World Championships in October.  However, the island gods thought better of my goals and after hitting something on the bike and totally ruining my tire I was forced to drop out and call it a day.  So after a week on the island I flew to St. George UT for almost ten days and stayed with my dad to get in some more heat training, open water swimming, and preparing for the Orlando Ironman 70.3 on May 17^th.

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Black Hills Fox affiliate KEVN had previewed Primal Quest Badlands presented by SPOT a full three months before the event is scheduled to kick off on August 14th. Their video introduction gives residents of South Dakota a glimpse of what they can expect when teams descend on their state later this year.

The news story makes generous use of video from Montana and discusses why South Dakota was interested in having Primal Quest come to the state, while introducing several of the people instrumental in making that happen.

The video also happens to show viewers a bit of the Badlands terrain, giving racers an idea of what they can expect as well. To watch the video click here.

Proof that Clydesdales can run

You may recall from previous postings or from meeting me that I am not a svelte guy.  In fact, I don’t even remember the last time I was below 200 pounds (91 kilos).  I am currently hovering at 226 pounds (103 kilos) which I suspect is my fighting weight.  All of the effort in training, diet, etc. has not caused the scale to budge one iota.

The reason I bring this to light is because I am also not a natural runner.  I am an over-glorified slogger.  You know what I mean; plod along at a slow and steady pace, just like a Clydesdale horse.  I have always been impressed by those creatures; big, beautiful, powerful, and normally hauling a large wagon full of Budweiser beer.  Those are at least the most famous Clydesdales that I know of; can’t think of any others.
The day started with it being a very typical cold, overcast, and rainy Dutch day.  I started the day by waking at 0700 for a cup of coffee and a light breakfast of a well-balanced bowl of muesli and milk.  All the articles I had read said to have something for breakfast about three hours before the race and that was pretty much the only thing in the house.  Luckily I had laid out all of my kit the night before, so dressing in the dark wasn’t a problem.  There were no last minute preparations or additions to the pack I had decided to carry throughout the race.  I figured I should start getting used to running with a pack on during something other than training.  My partially rehabbed, broken shoulder didn’t really have much to say.  Then again, I wasn’t listening.

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With the Ultimate Mountain Challenge (trail run, road bike, mountain bike, downriver paddle) at the Teva Mountain Games approaching in three weeks in Vail, I figured it was time to dust off the road bike…and to even do a bit of running on the road!

Saturday:  Ran two hours in a drizzly fog on the trails.  We’ve been in a strange weather pattern in which the weekdays are beautiful and weekends are rainy.  The bonus is that fog makes the usual routes seem mysterious and exciting!

Sunday:  Mountain biked 4.5 hours.  I went up to Bergen Peak, an old favorite in Evergreen and a classic foothills trail!

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The Winnipeg Free Press has posted an excellent article that profiles both Team Subaru Canada and Primal Quest Badlands presented by SPOT. The story not only interviews team members Catherine Alleyn-Dornn, Jim Mandelli, Alex Man and Kurt Gibson but also introduces readers to the sport of adventure racing and what they can expect from PQ this summer. The following is an excerpt:

IT’S TV’s Eco-Challenge pumped full of adrenaline in a ruggedly real, rather than reality TV, production.

It’s more amazing than television’s The Amazing Race. It’s about being a true Survivor in South Dakota’s Badlands and Black Hills during 1,000 kilometres and 10 days of climbing cliffs, crossing water and getting little sleep, food or bathroom privacy in an event called Primal Quest Badlands.

To read the rest of the article click here.